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I love my country dearly and I care deeply for the friends that served with me in Desert Storm. I think about the soldiers that are in the Middle East now and wonder how they're doing. I hope they have everything they need to keep them safe and I wish they would come home soon. Almost every night when I lay my head down on my pillow and get snug under the covers, I think of all the soldiers who are over there on guard in the early morning hours while I am warm and restful in my bed. And then, I thank them!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Haiti

You know, I'm getting real tired of hearing about the earthquake in Haiti. Everytime I turn on the news that's all I see. Last night, Bill Clinton was on CNN trying to raise money for the people there. Now, how many people in our country are suffering at no fault of their own? How many veterans are walking the streets because they're so messed up in the head and can't find a decent job to support themselves? How many women are living in shelters with their children because their husbands physically and mentally abused them? Where is the outpouring of money for these people? We are always so gracious when it comes to another country's needs, but when it comes to our own needs at home we turn an apathethic eye to them. It's all about politics. Our country is still in a recession yet we pour money that we need to be spending here at home into countries that could care less about us. Unreal!

6 comments:

All I have to say is...I wonder if the US had a nation-wide catastrophe, what other countries, if any, would come to our aid. I've been looking for a job for over a month now to no avail. Others may look for a job much longer than that. I need money, yo! Send some my way. If I was desperate, I could maybe start selling crack, but that would most likely get me to jail. At what point in your life do you decide to cross the line of desperation? Yeah, it's nice to be giving and loving to other people less fortunate, but how bout my job. Can I get a refund for the university education that is almost useless? It's all just a huge web of a mess if you ask me. Love you all.

I know exactly what you mean. I'm in the same boat. I have spent 6 years of my life getting a degree and a teacher's certification, and I didn't get any help finding a job afterwards. While it's a little off the topic of Haiti, it does fall into the category of our country helping others before we help ourselves. Some will say that if our country has a major disaster other countries might come to our aid, but I wonder how true that is. I didn't see any News Flashes on CNN or Fox about any outpouring of funds coming from other countries when Katrina hit New Orleans. Did you? Clinton's act of care and concern is all a big political show. His reputation was ruined and now he's trying to make up for it. Unfortunately, he's sinking his money into other countries, just like the big businesses are doing. My Grandfather and Father are rolling in their graves.

My heart goes out those people that are suffering in Haiti and it is a shame that this devastation has happened in their country. However, we still have people in New Orleans that are homeless and living in government trailers. As soon as Katrina was out of the news spotlight, the help stopped for those poor people who have nothing. That being said, we have soldiers who have fought in wars and came back home with so many problems and they are not getting the help that they deserve. I was under some misguided impression that these brave soldiers would be taken care of by the same government that sent them to fight a war that is not even our war. I have many friends that fought in Vietnam that came back home that will never be the same. I can count on one hand the ones that are OK. Our Country needs to take care of our own and fight the fights that we have on our homeland first before venturing out and helping those people that don't even want our help.

I agree with everything you just said Colleen. And the part about helping people who don't even want our help is how I feel about Afghanis. I'm sure some of them are glad we're there, but I would bet that most of them don't. They know that if they side with us the Taliban is going to be taking some heads the minute we leave. Literally!

Vietnam wasn't even our war. It was a war between the people in the North and the South. And we made it our war and look at the way the Veterans were treated when they came home. The Government ignored their claims of exposure to Agent Orange because they were too ashamed to admit they used it. The list goes on.....

If I've learned anything from life it's "victim=respect". Victim status in our culture somehow transforms those granted it "saint" status. No matter what else the person or group may or may not have done in their lives, victim status makes them entitled to everything... and without it, then well.. entitled to nothing.

The day before the hurricane, Haitians were just people with little to nothing. Today, they are victims with absolutely nothing... but their newly acquired status will make them entitled to everything, and if we don't give it, we are scum. :~d